Department for Transport

Driving Tests: Waiting Lists

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain; how many driving examiners are currently employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA); what assessment they have made of the number of driving examiners that need to be recruited to meet the demand for tests; and how long they forecast it will take to return driving test waiting times to levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises the high demand for learners wanting to take their practical driving test following the suspension of routine driver training and testing during the pandemic. As of 31 January 2022, the national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Great Britain is 14.2 weeks. The DVSA currently employs 1,710 driving examiners. The DVSA is committed to the safe recovery of all its services as quickly as possible and has a number of measures in place to do this. These include offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends). The DVSA is also continuing with its campaign to recruit more driving examiners across Great Britain to increase the availability of driving test appointments, which it will keep under review to meet demand.

Shipping: Plastics

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to support the proposal by the government of Sri Lanka to the International Maritime Organisation to regulate the transport of plastic nurdles.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: When the container ship X-PRESS PEARL caught fire and sank off the Sri Lankan coast in 2021, a significant quantity of plastic nurdles were released into the marine environment. Following the incident, the Sri Lankan government submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which sets out several proposed measures aimed at preventing similar spills of plastic nurdles in the future and identifying tools to manage such spills should they occur. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which provides the UK’s representation at the IMO, is actively engaged in IMO work focussed on the issue of marine plastics. Whilst the proposals that have been put forward will need further refinement and consideration within the IMO, the MCA is supportive of efforts to reduce marine plastic pollution and welcomes the debate in an international forum.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of speed cameras since 2019 with regard to (1) operability, (2) placement, and (3) any other relevant factors; and what steps they are taking as a result of any findings.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: It is up to the traffic authority and the police to decide whether to install speed cameras and how they wish to operate them. This is a local decision in which the Department does not become involved. The Department issues non-mandatory guidance to English traffic authorities on how cameras could be deployed if the local decision is to use them. This guidance, Use of Speed and Red-light Cameras for Traffic Enforcement: Guidance on Deployment, Visibility and Signing, is available on gov.uk and is currently being updated.

Driverless Vehicles: Regulation

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce regulations for the use of self-driving cars on roads in England; and what is the timetable for this work.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has made a commitment to creating a new legislative framework for self-driving vehicles on GB roads, to ensure that deployment of self-driving technology is safe and delivers the benefits we want to see. The Law Commissions’ report, published on 26 January 2022, recommended new laws to regulate automated vehicles (AVs) in Great Britain, following a three-year world leading review which the Department asked them to carry out. The Department will consider the recommendations published in their report and respond in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Publications: Retail Trade

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to help small booksellers compete with online retailers beyond the reliefs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Callanan: The government is committed to ensuring digital markets, such as the e-commerce market, remain competitive and deliver positive outcomes for small businesses, consumers, and society. Our digital competition consultation set out a vision for the UK’s new pro-competition regime for digital markets and the powers of the new Digital Markets Unit, which is already operating in non-statutory form inside the CMA. The regime will enable the UK’s competition authorities to tackle the unique challenges of fast-moving digital markets and will aim to boost competition and innovation by tackling the sources and effects of market power in digital markets. The consultation closed on 1 October 2021 and we are now carefully considering the responses. At budget, my Rt hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced further business rates relief of 50% in 2022/23 for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses worth almost £1.7 billion and we are freezing the multiplier for 2022/23 saving businesses £4.6 billion over the next five years.

Energy: Capital

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the recommended capital adequacy level for energy companies regulated by Ofgem.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem’s review of the financial regulatory framework for energy suppliers includes the consideration for capital adequacy requirements; Ofgem has committed to consult on this matter this coming Spring.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the percentage reduction of school improvement funding to schools in the financial year 2022–23, compared to the financial year 2021–22.

Baroness Barran: Mainstream school budgets will see an average 5.8% year-on-year per pupil cash increase in financial year 2022-23 in England. This is taking Dedicated Schools Grant allocations together with the schools supplementary grant announced in December 2021. Schools can fund school improvement from this budget.In addition, in financial year 2021-22, we provided approximately a further £45.3 million to local authorities, through the local authority school improvement monitoring and brokering grant, for their core school improvement functions relating to maintained schools. This is due to taper next year to reflect the reduced numbers of maintained schools. In financial year January 2022, we announced that we are reducing the rate at which this grant is paid by 50% in 2022-23 as a means of transitioning to full removal of this grant. This will bring the maintained sector better into line with the academy sector, who fund this type of activity from school budgets. The exact value of this grant in 2022-23 will depend on the numbers of maintained schools in each local authority when the grant is paid in April and September 2022.We also continue to make available substantial support to both academy and maintained schools at low or no cost, including our network of curriculum and behaviour hubs, our world-class teacher development system, and our offer of free support from a National Leader of Education or strong multi-academy trust for schools that Ofsted judge require improvement.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Standards

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current backlog of cases in (1) Magistrates Courts in England and (2) the Crown Court; and, in each case, (a) what is the average reduction in the backlog each month, and (b) how long it will take to clear the backlog at the current rate of progress.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The table below shows the latest published data on the outstanding cases in the Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court, and the current rate of change. The data on outstanding cases can be found on the criminal court statistics page. Outstanding casesCrown CourtMagistrates’ CourtQ3 202159,928349,277Q2 202160,812362,842  For further data on disposals including by each Crown Court and by region in the Magistrates’ Court please see the Crown Court cases received, disposed and outstanding tool and the Magistrates' Court cases received, disposed and outstanding tool available on the Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly Web Address (Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2021).The Spending Review will provide an extra £477 million for the criminal justice system over the next three years to help reduce the backlog.

Prisoners

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in prison serving an extended determinate sentence have a custodial tariff of (1) six months or less, (2) six months to 12 months, (3) 12 months to four years, (4) four years to 10 years, and (5) 10 years or more.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in prison serving (1) a life sentence, (2) an extended determinate sentence, and (3) an imprisonment for public protection sentence, are aged (a) 15–17, (b) 18–20, (c) 21–24, (d) 25–29, (e) 30–39, (f) 40–49, (g) 50–59, (h) 60–69, and (i) 70 and over.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Table 1: Prisoners serving an Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) by custodial tariff, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales 30/09/2021EDS  Less than 6 months46 months to less than 12 months*12 months to less than 4 years1434 years to less than 10 years3,18410 years and longer2,940Not Recorded*   PQ HL5531 (Ministry of Justice; Data and Analysis Directorate) Disclosure controlValues of 1 or 2 have been suppressed (*) in the above table to protect the identity of individuals.Table 2: Prisoners serving life sentences, extended determinate sentences, and imprisonment for public protection sentences, by age group, as at 30 September 2021, in England and Wales. Life SentenceImprisonment for Public ProtectionExtended Determinate SentenceTotal6,9711,6616,27415 - 171601218 - 20168019021 - 24352054925 - 29684491,05630 - 391,8576062,12740 - 491,6454441,17350 - 591,35837276060 - 6967914130670 and over21249101 Source: Prison NOMIS. The figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Females

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many miles on average female prisoners have been held from their home address in each year since 2010.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: A year-by-year summary of distance from home for prisoners in female and male prisons is listed below. Female Prisons Average Distance (miles)Male Prisons Average Distance (miles)01/09/201048.443.201/09/201146.542.701/09/201245.64301/09/201344.643.501/09/201445.742.801/09/201544.742.601/09/201646.943.201/09/201747.344.501/09/201847.845.101/09/201949.24601/09/202047.545.601/09/202145.845There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.HM Prisons and Probation Service is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors, including wider population pressures, or where prisoners have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.

Prisoners: Coronavirus

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners in each prison tested positive for COVID-19 in each month of 2021.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The attached table shows the numbers of prisoners in each prison who tested positive for COVID-19 in each month of 2021.Table (xlsx, 23.5KB)

Probation: Death

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have died while under probation supervision where COVID-19 was considered a factor in their death; and how many of these individuals were recorded as having no stable accommodation at the time of death.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: From March 2020 to the end of December 2021 a total of 81 people died while under probation supervision having tested positive for COVID-19 within 60 days of death or where it was confirmed post-mortem as a contributing factor. This data was published in the December edition of the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) COVID-19 statistics monthly series. Data on the number of individuals who were recorded as having no stable accommodation at the time of death could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. We recognise how important it is that everyone leaving prison should have somewhere to live, as accommodation enables offenders to hold down a job and reduces the likelihood of them re-offending. Our Prisons White Paper sets out our vision that no-one subject to probation supervision is released from prison homeless. By 2024-25 we will spend £200 million a year to reduce reoffending, including improving prison leavers’ access to accommodation. To ensure offenders are not homeless upon release, HMPPS has developed a Community Accommodation Service (CAS) so that people leaving prison can access suitable accommodation. CAS brings Approved Premises (AP), Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS), and a new provision of transitional accommodation together under the auspices of one accommodation system.

Treasury

Public Expenditure

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to help ensure value for money in public spending.

Baroness Penn: Spending Review 2021 placed a renewed emphasis on ensuring that every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent well and focused on the areas that make the most difference to people’s daily lives. The government has set clear outcomes for what spending will buy; ensured that all decisions are informed by the best quality evidence; encouraged joint working between departments; and taken further action to drive out low value or inefficient spend. Following the efficiency and savings review last year, Spending Review 2021 confirmed savings of 5% against day-to-day central departments budgets in 2024-25.

Standard of Living

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of inflation on living standards.

Baroness Penn: We understand that inflation, if higher than income growth, can reduce households’ real income, and that higher prices can increase the cost of living for people and households. The government is working with international partners to tackle global supply chain disruption and providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help people with the cost of living. This includes cutting the Universal Credit taper rate to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, and providing targeted support to help vulnerable households with their energy bills and other essentials.

Limited Liability: National Insurance Contributions

Lord Leigh of Hurley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential increase in revenue should members of limited liability partnerships become subject to an increase in national insurance contributions from April 2022 at the same rate of increase as employees.

Baroness Penn: No such assessment has been carried out. Employees, the self-employed and members of a Limited Liability Partnership who are subject to National Insurance contributions (NICs) will also be subject to the 1.25% NICs increase for the tax year 2022/23 and the Health and Social Care Levy from April 2023.

Standard of Living

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of their taxation policy on living standards.

Baroness Penn: Treasury analysis published alongside Autumn Budget 21 shows that tax changes announced by this government are progressive, with high-income households on average paying most as a share of income. The analysis also shows that the lowest income households will on average receive more than £4 in public spending for every £1 paid in tax.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Uyghur Tribunal

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Uyghur Tribunal, and in particular its determination that the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims are subject to human rights abuses and crimes against humanity; and, further to the findings of the Tribunal, what plans they have to review the planned UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Uyghur Tribunal's findings add to our serious and well-known concerns about the severity of the human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.In response to those concerns, the UK has led international efforts to hold China to account at the UN, imposed sanctions on senior Chinese government officials, and announced measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in these violations through their supply chains.However, we can also pursue a positive and reliable economic relationship with China while upholding our values and protecting our national security. UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogues (EFDs) provide a mechanism to do this. Where we have concerns, we will continue to speak out and take action at the highest levels.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 17 January (HL5229), what further representations they will make to the government of Azerbaijan "to settle all outstanding matters including the peaceful negotiation of their borders" following reports of (1) three Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian civilians in Nagorno Karabakh, the Gegharkunik province and the Stepanakert-Shushi road, and (2) Azerbaijani forces firing on the Armenian position in the eastern part of the line of contact.

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan concerning possible violations of the Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire Agreement, including reports of Azerbaijani military attacks on Armenian civilians on 2, 8, 10, and 11 January.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government, including through the British Embassies in Baku and Yerevan, and our delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), continues to highlight our concern over the ongoing tensions on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to reiterate the importance of regional stability and security in our contacts with partners in the region. In his future engagements with representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments, the Minister for Europe will underline UK concerns and urge the parties to engage substantively, without preconditions, with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to find a sustainable, peaceful settlement to the conflict.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of religiously-motivated torture of Christian Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani military personnel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is aware of allegations that prisoners of war were subject to mistreatment and torture during and after the 2020 conflict. Such reports are deeply concerning. The former Minister for Europe and Americas, Wendy Morton MP, raised our concerns with the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers both during and after the conflict, and urged that all allegations were thoroughly investigated. In discussions with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors in November, she also urged the parties to prioritise the return of all prisoners of war and detainees. The UK Government will continue to raise these issues and to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to facilitate discussions with a view to settling all outstanding matters related to the conflict.

Belarus: Russia

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Russian troops entered Belarus on 17 January; and whether they have sought any explanation from the government of Russia for this military deployment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the announcement of joint Russia-Belarus military drills due to take place in Belarus in February. We continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly in light of current regional tensions.

Libya: Elections

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the enforcement of the proposed June 2022 deadline for presidential elections in Libya; and what discussions they have had with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Libya on this matter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK fully supports the UN-facilitated, Libyan led and owned political process. Successful free, fair and inclusive elections will be a crucial step in this process, and the Libyan people have made clear their aspirations to have a say in who governs them. The UK is working with Libyan and international partners - including the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor Stephanie Williams, the United Nation's Support Mission in Libya, and the United Nations Secretary-General - to pursue this priority, supporting Libya's sovereignty and national unity, and putting the country on a path to sustained peace, security and prosperity.

Palestinians: Coronavirus

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of a health crisis in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 there; what steps they are taking to support the relevant authorities in relieving any such crisis in the camps; and what recent discussions they have held with the UN Relief and Works Agency on this matter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In support of Lebanon's response to coronavirus, the UK has contributed nearly £4.5 million for medical supplies via World Health Organisation, support through the British Red Cross, training to medical professionals, and funding for 10 isolation centres.The UK is committed to supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees in Lebanon through our annual support to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). UK aid helps UNRWA provide essential services to vulnerable Palestinian refugees including responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antarctica: Non-native Species

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of the United States of America Ship traffic connects Antarctica’s fragile coasts to worldwide ecosystems, published on 18 January, what discussions they are holding with international partners to seek to counter the effect of (1) tourist, (2) research, and (3) fishing, vessels in enabling invasive marine species to travel to Antarctica on ocean-crossing ships.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The protection of the Antarctic environment is discussed annually at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM), and the UK engages actively to ensure all activities in Antarctica are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Within the Antarctic Treaty System, tourism and research vessels must operate in accordance with the Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection, which includes actions to be taken to prevent the introduction of non-native species, as well precautions to prevent the accidental introduction of micro-organisms not naturally present in the Antarctic Treaty area. Fishing vessels are regulated under the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Following work led by the UK, both the ATCM and CCAMLR have adopted practical guidelines for the exchange of ballast water in the Antarctic Treaty area, designed to minimise the risk of introducing non-native species.

Cameroon: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so how, they will support Resolution 511 of the African Union’s African Commission for Human and People’s Rights, which calls on the government of Cameroon to authorise an impartial fact-finding mission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the Anglophone regions.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is supportive of the values set out in the African Union's African Commission for Human and People's Rights, and its efforts in promoting the protection of human rights. HMG is working with the Government of Cameroon and international partners, to promote a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon. This includes delivering Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programming that aims to reduce violations. We continue to regularly raise specific human rights concerns with the Government of Cameroon. We also urge the Government to remain engaged with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Nigeria: Violence

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of escalating Islamist violence in southeast Nigeria, including of targeted attacks against the Igbo community.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is concerned by increasing levels of violence in South East Nigeria. On 1 November 2021, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean raised the issue of rising insecurity across Nigeria with Nigeria's Foreign Minister at a meeting at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. She will hold further such discussions with the Nigerian Government during the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Dialogue this week.We do not assess the violence in South East Nigeria to be caused by Islamist extremism, which is instead the leading cause of violence in North East Nigeria. Violent and organised criminal groups, politicised disputes and calls for separatism (since the Biafran civil war) have driven instability and violence for a number of years in the South East region. We will continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of the violence and bring perpetrators to justice. We also encourage constructive dialogue and reconciliation between the many ethnic and religious communities that contribute to the diversity of Nigeria.

Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who have claimed Statutory Sick Pay following one or more COVID-19 infections.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Employers are not required to report payments of Statutory Sick Pay, or reasons for that payment. The data requested is therefore not available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fruit and Vegetables

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that in summer 2022 fruit and vegetables in the UK will not be left unharvested.

Lord Benyon: The Government recognises the importance of a reliable source of labour for crop picking and packing, and that it is a key part of bringing in the harvest for the horticultural sector. Defra is working closely with industry and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, and to help our world-leading growers access the labour they need to ensure our crops are picked and not left unharvested.The Government has announced that the seasonal worker visa route will be extended to 2024 to allow overseas workers to come to the UK for up to six months to harvest both edible and ornamental crops. 30,000 visas will be available. This will be kept under review with the potential to increase by 10,000 if necessary.While acknowledging the sector’s reliance on foreign workers, the UK is committed to becoming a high-skilled, high-wage economy and the Government has been clear that more must be done to attract UK workers through offering training, career options, wage increases and to invest in increased automation technology. Defra’s Review of Automation in Horticulture will be published shortly and will inform a range of policy decisions regarding automation and seasonal labour from 2022 onwards. In addition, food and farming businesses can continue to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status. Over 5.6 million EU citizens and their families have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Defra is also working with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions to raise awareness of career opportunities within the food and farming sectors among UK workers.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Hate Crime: Travellers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Runnymede Trust reportEngland Civil Society Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, published on 14 July 2021; and what plans they have to include measures to prevent hate crimes against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in their next Hate Crime Action Plan.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government is firmly committed to delivering its reporting obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). We have noted the Runnymede trust's Civil Society Report to the ICERD Committee. We look forward to submitting the UK's State Report highlighting our work to combat racial disparities and discrimination and the progress we have made since our last report in 2016.Government will publish a new hate crime strategy in due course, which will include tackling racial hate crime, to help stamp out the abhorrent crimes that harm victims and their communities. We have sought views from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community representatives in the development of this new strategy.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they held in relation to amending the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill to allow an MP to (1) seek a dual mandate as an MLA, and (2) hold both mandates for the duration of the current Parliament; which political parties participated in these discussions; what agreement was reached; and (a) when, and (b) by whom, the decision was taken not to move any relevant Government amendments at Report stage in the House of Lords on 19 January.

Lord Caine: The subject of dual mandates was debated extensively in the House of Lords during Committee Stage of the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill, following the tabling of an amendment by Lord Alderdice, which was supported by a number of noble Lords. At the conclusion of the debate, I undertook to consider the matter further with a view to returning to it at Report Stage. Following this, I carried out broad engagement in parliament, and spoke to representatives from a number of political parties setting out the Government's proposed approach. After the Government tabled the amendment, however, the majority of Northern Ireland parties made clear that they did not wish to see any change to the current arrangements. As a result of this widespread opposition, the Prime Minister announced to the House of Commons on 19 January the Government’s decision not to move its amendment.

Department for International Trade

Small Businesses: Exports

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create aBusiness and Trade Growth Office at the Department for International Trade to encourage smaller businesses to increase exports.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: As opposed to creating a new office, the Department for International Trade announced a refreshed Export Strategy, ‘Made in UK, Sold to the World’ on 17 November at our first International Trade Week. This business-centred 12-Point Plan is designed to focus on barriers faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, encouraging them to ‘sell to the world’ and accelerate our race to £1 trillion exports per year. Supported by the Export Support Service (ESS), the UK Export Academy, UK Export Finance, our International Trade Advisers and global networks, UK businesses will be supported at every stage in their export journey. Our new Trade and Investment offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast will ensure this support reaches businesses UK-wide.

Intellectual Property: Trade Agreements

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage World Trade Organization members to support the introduction of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights waiver.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The United Kingdom does not support the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver. We have not seen evidence that Intellectual Property (IP) rights are a blocker to increasing the supply of COVID-19 goods, including vaccines. Rather, evidence shows continued increases of COVID-19 vaccine doses being manufactured. While we recognise and share concerns regarding the lack of access to vaccines in parts of the world, we must focus on the real challenges to vaccine equity. This includes pressure on health systems; supply chain issues like export restrictions; and vaccine confidence. We remain open to initiatives which help overcome these challenges, which waiving IP rights does not.

Exports

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that protections for exports to third countries negotiated while the UK was a member of the EU are maintained following the UK's departure.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Since leaving the EU, HM Government has sought continuity for businesses, investors, and consumers in our trading relationships. Of the non-EU countries that were in scope of our trade continuity programme, those secured to date account for 99% of the value of trade with all continuity partners. We have secured continuity agreements with 68 non-EU countries. The value of trade with these countries is £189bn in 2020.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Select Committees: Business Interests

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whetherwitnesses to House of Lords select committee inquiries will be required to declare whether (1) they, or (2) institutions and companies in which they are involved, receive (a) remuneration, (b) endowments, or (c) financial support, from counties identified in the Integrated Review as representing a threat to UK interests.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Witnesses to House of Lords Select Committee inquiries are not required to make declarations of this kind and there are no plans to introduce such a requirement. The large majority of witnesses are unlikely to have any such involvement and Committee members are best placed to understand which witnesses might represent such a threat and to raise queries about those witnesses both before a committee session and, if necessary, during it.

Parliamentary Estate: CCTV

Lord Pendry: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whetherthere are sufficient CCTV cameras on the Parliamentary Estate to record all interactions involving Members of the House of Lords which might be considered contrary to the Code of Conduct.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Detailed discussion on the deployment of security cameras on the estate is not appropriate because of the security implications involved in the release of this information. The positioning of CCTV cameras on the estate is based on security requirements.When deciding on the location of CCTV cameras, privacy and information assurance considerations have to be taken into account and the widespread deployment of CCTV to several parts of the estate would be an unacceptable invasion of privacy and yield only limited, if any, security benefit. Security cameras are of limited use in determining breaches of the code of conduct as they do not record sound.